


Are You With Me?

by feuenfeu



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Completed, F/F, Handholding, Hosie, One Shot, Staring, crush confession, make quiet things heard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23231899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feuenfeu/pseuds/feuenfeu
Summary: She slowly crawled up and out of her grave and looked around. She was in the cemetery not far from the school that also happened to be en route to the Old Mill. The same cemetery she had ran into with Penelope and MG to find Josie when her bio-mom had buried her alive on her sixteenth birthday.Almost the same. More looming trees with twisted branches stretching far out in the air littered the cemetery than she remembered. Monstrous shadows gaped from out of the gnarly woods, fueled by the moonlight. As the trees slightly teetered back and forth creaking low and loud, the shadowy figures morphed with one another.“Josie!”What if it was like last time then? Josie was here buried alive in the cemetery, suffering. An everlasting nightmare; how long could she endure the loneliness and suffocation underground?Or,Hope finds herself reliving Josie's hardest memories and worst demons. A prisoner in her own mind with the worst parts of herself playing warden, Hope will have to venture through each one to find Josie, learning more about herself along the way.(Hope has a gay awakening and realizes she cares a lot lot for Josie...)
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1 - Are You With Me?

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the song "Are You With Me" by nilu. If you haven't heard it before, I highly recommend it! It's a sad slow song that I believe captures how Hope feels for Josie and how far she's willing to go to be sure that she's okay.
> 
> I started this story a bit after Episode 14 aired so that's why it's a tad canon divergent from how Episode 15 ends.
> 
> This will remain one-shot.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story :)

Josie’s body fell to the floor, limp. Hope lowered her arms and looked up at Lizzie. Her panting slowed but she still had a terrified look on her as she stared at her unconscious sister laying between the tribrid and herself.

“What do we do?” She breathed, looking up at Hope.

The tribrid looked down at the dark witch. The strands with silver streaks of her dark brunette hair had fallen around her face. Her arms splayed around her and her hands were slightly curled. The fireball that had formed in her left one had dispersed now.

She crouched down and carefully combed the hairs off her face.

“If I’m doing this, we have to do it now.” 

Lizzie nodded slowly. “Mg and Kaleb should be at Raf’s. The box should still be in the gym.” She rushed to her bedroom door but stopped and clutched the door frame and turned back at Hope. 

“Should I get him?”

A pause fell over the room and she looked up at the blonde witch.

“Landon needs to be there for Raf right now as much as Josie needs us.” 

She nodded in understanding and left Hope with her sister on the floor.

Hope sighed as she looked down again at Josie. Her familiar baby blue knit sweaters decorated with the school’s pin and neat preppy plaid skirts was now a grunge fishnet black dress, complete with a black ribbon around her neck. Deep rouge painted her lips complimenting her dark unblended eyeshadow. The greenish veins actively and ever so slightly pulsing and crawling up from her neck to her face were the only signs of life. She was utterly still.

Maybe if she had never jumped into Malivore, — had never erased herself from existence, might Josie not have used the sand clock. Or fill it with so much dark magic. How it convulsed in and out of itself in its delicate glass prison. When she and Josie had placed a barrier spell around it she thought it was a little beautiful at the time, if dangerous. Magic has a wondrousness to it, alluring all minds to it with its promises she had learned.

Hope took Josie’s hand in hers and ran her thumbs over them to try to warm up her cool touch. As she sat there on the ground of the twins’ room a glint in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Resting on the drawer was the small silver necklace she had gifted her a year ago today for her birthday. She uncrossed her legs and walked up to it. The chain had been unhooked, but otherwise it was still in good condition. She guessed Josie hadn’t worn it since she left her friends to save Landon.

She carefully picked it up and admired its details. The two serpents entwining around Hermes’ winged and slender staff stared back at her. It had heraldic inspiration, featuring a ship for adventure and anchors for safety and security. The small elephant trunks would inspire good luck in the wearer.

Hope placed the necklace around her own neck and fastened the chain, letting it fall just below her own wishbone necklace. She would carry this for her and hold onto it until it rested safely around Josie’s neck.

She heard Lizzie’s steps approach the door. The garnet chest tested her strength as she bumped the door open wider with her feet. It was a modified Chambre de Chasse, really, something she had admittedly dabbled with at her time in New Orleans when she was younger.

“How does this thing even have weight— it literally runs on your imagination!” she huffed as she placed the chest on the ground beside Josie. 

Hope knelt down besides the sisters. “Hurry, Lizzie, before she wakes up.”

She put her hands on the lid ready to lift it but looked back up at Hope instead.

“I should come with you. It’s my fault that she’s lashing out like this, I was so terrible to her when we were young … and even last year.” She grimaced.

Hope’s features softened. “She’ll forgive you. Maybe she can’t show it right now but she loves you. Don’t forget that.”

She softly nodded back and looked down at her sister. If she went inside she’d risk Josie rewriting the rules again and hurting her in the real world if she escaped. Fueled by feeling like the inferior twin. The weaker sister. Always second rate to others, because of her selfishness. She hated herself and hated Lizzie for making her weak. Could she ever forgive her?

“Whatever you see in her subconscious,” she whispered, “I know I’m terrible.”

Hope put her hand on hers, meeting her eyes. “We’re not who we were yesterday, last week or a decade ago. We’ve all changed. _You_ are not terrible.”

She gave a small smile and nodded. “Go, save my sister.” Hope pulled her into a hug. She was going to bring her back safe and sound for her sister.

“Don’t worry, facing darkness is kinda my thing,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

Lizzie broke the hug first and settled her hands on the chest again. She waited until Hope nodded and opened the lid. This time, she wouldn’t enter unprepared. When she found her… if she found her… she might not know she was in a simulation. She touched the talisman close to her heart.

“ _Semper meminero_.”

A familiar warm white light washed over, and she felt herself slump to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N.B - "semper meminero" is Latin for "always remember"


	2. Chapter 2 - Everlasting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everlasting; Can you endure long enough?

Hope gasped as she felt the rush engulf her, filling up her senses. She noticed the smell first. An earthy, almost sweet fragrance tickled her nose. 

Her eyes burned as small flecks fell on her face. She was surrounded in darkness, eyes straining to see anything. She knew she was on her back and she felt how close the walls around her were with her arms. They left barely an inch of wiggle room for her sides. Her breathing picked up and she felt the heat of her body and warm breath flush back onto her cheeks. 

She raised her hands to feel damp planks above. As she put pressure on it the faster the soil fell. The sweet earthy aroma grew stronger.

“Josie!” She shouted, all while coughing as more earth fell in her face and mouth. Fire filled her lungs as death gripped her heart.

She banged harder on the soft wood until more dirt caved down through the planks. Her eyes found a small point of moonlight and she punched harder still until a blanket of air wrapped her hand. She brought her hand down and graciously drank in the cool air through the hole. Her ears focused on the flitter of bugs in the distance.

She slowly moved her hands above her head and tucked in her knees to level her footing with the ground. She kicked the top with her knees until enough wood and earth caved down, enough for her to raise her feet and finish the job.

The final pieces of the rotting planks flew away and she picked herself up a little and shifted her weight on her elbows, panting hard and trying to collect her thoughts.

Hardly five minutes in and she had almost suffocated from being buried alive. Josie’s unconscious was something else.

She slowly crawled up and out of her grave and looked around. She was in the cemetery not far from the school that also happened to be en route to the Old Mill. The same cemetery she had ran into with Penelope and MG to find Josie when her bio-mom had buried her alive on her sixteenth birthday.

Almost the same. More looming trees with twisted branches stretching far out in the air littered the cemetery than she remembered. Monstrous shadows gaped from out of the gnarly woods, fueled by the moonlight. As the trees slightly teetered back and forth creaking low and loud, the shadowy figures morphed with one another.

“Josie!” 

What if it was like last time then? Josie was here buried alive in the cemetery, suffering. An everlasting nightmare; how long could she endure the loneliness and suffocation underground?

She didn’t have MG here with her though to listen for her heartbeats. Did she have her own talisman here? How could she find her in time?

Hope touched the talisman around her neck and strained her focus on hearing anything but the low wind whistling through the woods and the annoying bugs.

“Josie!” she shouted again. Her throat felt raspy still from the falling soil. She buckled to her knees in a fit of coughing.

_Breathe, Hope, dammit just calm down. Close your eyes and concentrate and when you open your eyes you’ll find her._

Her hand on her heart felt the rising of her chest come to a normal pace. Her erratic breathing slowed to a steady. 

She closed her eyes and listened again for a sign of life. Small muffled thuds from her right pricked her ears.

She rushed up and ran letting her feet follow the sound. Though her eyes were adjusting it was useless to narrow down if the noise came from this mound or the next. The thuds gained more breaks between each beat. There was no time to guess and check.

The auburn haired girl craned her neck up at the moon. She was used to transitioning into a wolf when she needed a release. It was her outlet for stress. The wolf’s mind was simpler, too. There were no rules. Just run.

But Josie didn’t have that same freedom. She had expelled and channeled all her rage, anger, sadness and jealousy into the Mora Miserium. Transforming it into a dark object. A volatile time bomb due to break any day. Watching the cracks crawl up and around the delicate glass. Those same cracks were now the writhing veins on Josie’s neck, face, and hands.

Guilt panged her heart remembering the first time she saw her as she astral projected into the Prison World.

She carefully unbuttoned her top, kicked off her shoes and slipped her skirt off and rested them in a pile by her feet. She let out a breath and felt the familiar motions take over. 

Her back twisted and arched, forcing her to her hands on the ground. The dusty but sweet smell of soil surged into her nose as her eyes adjusted faster to the night. Yellow eyes dotted the cemetery. 

The thumps were louder now. Suffocated screams shot the fur of the back of her neck up. The silver wolf sprinted over mounds and around the maze of tombstones until the muffled banging was under her great paws.

She dug like there was no tomorrow, the dirt ingraining itself beneath her claws. Finally she was scratching planks. The wood shuddered to the beating behind. Had her oxygen run out?

“Hope?” A small voice coughed. 

The wolf whined and tapped the wood lightly. She wanted nothing more than to rip open the top and hug the witch. Being thumbless however was proving to be another obstacle.

She hopped out of the hole exposing the coffin and thought of being herself again. She shed out of her wolf mind and quickly whispered a spell that would cover her very bare body. The necklaces around her neck were tangled a little but unbroken. 

Running back again, she curled her fingers around the edges and ripped off the door. And there, covered in dirt with reddened and bruised hands lay the young witch. Dirt smudged her face and dress but she knew even in the dark she was wearing that pastel pink gown. Her eyes were closed and if they were in different circumstances she thought she might have been dreaming.

“Josie?” She whispered, leaning forwards and picking up her hands. Her tangled hair fell in front of her face but she still saw her bare neck.

She unfastened the talisman around her neck and placed it in her hand, wrapping her hands around hers and holding on tight.

“Josie,” she spoke softly, her voice quavering a little. She could feel her heart beating through her throat.

“It’s me, please come back to us, to me.” She rubbed her thumbs over her hand.

“Use your voice, make quiet things heard. Please wake up, and we can get you out of here so everyone can hear you okay?” Her voice hitched.

“Not even the darkness can silence you.”

A low rumbling growled behind her. She whipped around to see a disgusting, decaying and discolored body moving closer to her and Josie.

Still holding Josie’s hand she raised her other in defense. “ _Incendia_!” She shouted.

The rotting body was engulfed in flames and stumbled until it crippled to the ground. 

Josie’s hand started to grip hers tightly, dangerously digging into her palms. She turned back to her and yanked her hand from hers and jumped backwards, falling into her grave. White crescent shapes etched her palms.

Sunken eyes stared out of a gaunt face. It reeled back its gnarled hand, still holding onto the talisman.

“Not so fun being buried alive on your birthday.” It whispered in a raspy voice, breaking into a crooked smile.

Goosebumps chilled her spine as Hope stared back horrified.

“Forgotten by the ones that say they love you. Tricked by the ones that you confide in, promising trust,” it hissed.

Black rolled over its eyes and pulsing veins crawled up its decaying face. “A mere pawn in someone else’s grandiose plan. So weak a year ago. Now look at what I can do for her.” It snapped its fingers, uprighting itself and sending Hope on her back again. Embers from the flaming corpse behind her flicked onto her.

She tightened her jaw. “What have you done to her!”

It stalked closer to her, its empty hand raised at Hope.

“Nothing you can change.”

The tribrid eyed the talisman dangling from its fingers. How dare it pretend to be her and carry it. The decaying figure’s inscrutable face fixed onto her gaze.

Its hollow cheek raised half a smile. “Is this the part where you cry and we hold hands?” it snarled.

“ _Motus_!” The talisman flew into her outstretched hand.

The withered witch simply tilted its head a little. “ _‘Not even darkness can silence you!’_ ” she heard her own voice echo back.

“You’re right, I won’t let it silence Josie.” She clutched the talisman tightly and focused on her brown eyes, the pastel pink dress, and how her hair fell around her soft face.

“ _Auditum facite silentium_!” 

It flashed a wicked smile. “This is only the beginning.”

The sputtering flames behind her muffled. White light wrapped around the tribrid in a flash, forcing her to shield her eyes.

The very earth underneath her started shifting and transforming. She held onto the talisman tight.

When the blinding spotlight behind her eyes faded, she opened them. White spots floated and obscured her vision, but she was sure what she saw.

The dark witch had gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N.B - "auditum facite silentium" is Latin for "let it be heard in silence"


	3. Chapter 3 - Untouchable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Untouchable; Can you bring yourself to hurt another?

She was still in the cemetery, but the world had moved her closer to the Mill. 

Slowly, Hope steadied herself on her feet. It was still dark out. She fixed her gaze onto the only light glowing from within the Mill. It pulled her in, somehow, and she treaded carefully towards it.

As she neared it she heard another’s footsteps breaking leaves. Hope slowed her own and hid herself behind a gnarly tree. 

With great strides a tall girl walked towards the entrance. Even in the dark, she could tell she wore the school uniform: a familiar bright yellow blazer with a white collar and short black skirt cutting off before her knees.

Hope stepped a little closer from her spot. The girl stopped before the stairs and knelt a little. She grabbed something in front of her and a red aura lit up the dark, emitting from her hands.

The barrier spell. The night of the talent show. Josie heading to the Mill with her inhibitions lowered. All just a year ago. 

Except there was no Penelope by her side or Lizzie by her own to save her. She calmly walked up the steps until her yellow blazer couldn’t be seen.

What was it about this moment that had defined her subconscious simulation?

If she was reliving her memory then she would be going after the ‘urn’ and be on her way to Georgia. Hope was not about to make that damn trip again.

She sprinted to the entrance, not missing the jump over her own thorny barrier. She lightly jogged up the stairs and up to the doorway, careful to keep the element of surprise.

“There’s the urn.” She heard her say to no one in particular. Was this the real Josie?

Hope stepped from out of the doorway. “Not so fast!”

Josie stopped in her tracks and turned to face Hope. She stared at her with a clenched jaw and furrowed brows. “You shouldn’t stop me, Hope.”

She whirled her hands together and formed a growing infernal ball, raising it with her left. Its embers washed over her left cheek.

“Josie, we need to get you out of here!” She didn’t want to hurt her in her subconscious.

She shoved the fireball at the tribrid. Hope was quick to catch and dispel it in her hand. Its lingering heat licked her palms.

She stared back wide-eyed and raised her hands like a white flag. “Look, I know you don’t really want to hurt me.”

Her eyes went void as she smirked. “Don’t I?” She raised both hands and formed two greater fireballs. Hope straightened her stance realizing her ruse.

“She was almost there, you know,” she said, stalking closer. “Inhibitions lowered, ready to do what was necessary to survive. Our sister and _you_ just had to take that away.” 

She shot her hands forward and launched the merging fireballs. Hope raised a force shield in front and the fire precipitated as it ran through it. Distorted waves rippled from the epicenter.

“That wasn’t you, _this_ isn’t you.” 

The black lifted from her eyes. “I’m stronger than slug-drunk Josie,” she grinned. “You were stronger too, don’t you remember?” She tilted her head. 

Memories of how she felt that day being influenced by the slugs flooded her brain. Hope winced and put her hands to her temple. She remembered how good it felt to feel free and not worry about how others perceived her. She didn’t have to be the self proclaimed lonely tribrid or the cosmic mistake if she didn’t want it.

But if she had her inhibitions lowered what would stop her from doing what she _knew_ wasn’t fair for the people she loved? That thought she desperately tried to ignore in her head. She needed her inhibitions because if she didn’t...

“Get out of my head!” Hope shook her head furiously and conjured a wind torrent, throwing Josie off balance and stumbling a bit backwards.

She chuckled. “Because you’re so much fun with your guard up.” She pursed her lips. “Aww, was it the childhood trauma?” 

She jutted her chin out. “Shut up.” 

The dark witch threw her hand out first to pin her against the wall, but the tribrid stopped it part way with her own telekinesis. 

“You are _not_ Josie.”

They both had their feet digging into the ground. It was a battle of strengths, and neither was going to loosen their hold.

“What’s the matter? Your guard telling you to go soft on me?” Her eyes blackened again.

Hope remained firm where she stood, pushing hard against her force, breathing hard. 

“It's a simple spell, Hope. I know you know it.”

And she had almost used it. Almost crossed that line and willing to kill Landon. But she could never hurt Josie.

“Wouldn’t have mattered anyway, right? At least we would’ve figured out sooner he’s slightly less useless.”

“I said get out of my head!” She yelled, leaning slightly forwards, her arms slightly shaking. “And get out of Josie’s!”

She smiled like the devil at that. “As you wish.” Light filled her eyes and her smirk dropped, red lips quivered and her breathing shuddered. Without competition, the force of Hope’s magic surged forwards and shot Josie across the Mill and hard into the furthest back wall. Wooden shrapnel fell around her soft flesh.

Hope stepped back frozen and wide-eyed at what she had done. Josie’s arms spread out above her as she lay in shattered pieces of the Mill and the furniture. They hovered above her, like the drapes of a long neglected window, letting the soft breeze from the remnants of her spell softly animate her hair. 

She darted forwards into the wreckage, the hardwood floor beneath her holding its breath as she knelt down. Her heartbeat throbbed from her chest to her throat as she cupped the young witch’s face and put her fingers to her neck to feel her pulse. 

Dark rouge slowly grew, staining her yellow blazer. Brown eyes stared blankly back.

“No, no no no no this is not how this happens,” she trembled. “You are not dying here!”

No pulse, no breath. 

She shut her eyes, letting her tears roll freely to stain her cheeks. The color left her face as she pulled her in closer, cradling her head in her arms. Her throat tightened as her chin and breathing stuttered uncontrollably.

How could she tell Lizzie? How could she live with herself?

But she didn’t have to.

The hardwood planks groaned and the rustling wind outside rushed around them. Once again, they were engulfed by the white light.


	4. Chapter 4 - Inadequacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inadequacy; Are you good enough?

“Ms. Marshall!”

Hope jolted upright in her seat. She had pins and needles running through her arm from leaning on it too long. In front of her Mr. Williams was standing in front of the chalkboard, expecting some sort of answer.

Around her students were either too disinterested to pay attention to the teacher cold calling or they were feeling the second hand embarrassment.

Hope cleared her throat. “Um, five?”

“The requirements for a binding spell is… five?”

A couple students muffled their giggles at her expense. Mr. Williams sighed. “Anyone else? Ms. Chang?”

The stylish witch across the room lifted her head and stood tall. Making firm and precise movements, Alyssa wrote with her fingers in the air the list of requirements, the words writing themselves on the chalkboard.

_Guess this lesson stuck_ , she mused.

“Thank you, Alyssa. Now let's turn to the next page in your Grimoires and someone can read the description for the class…”

So it wasn’t over. She didn’t just watch Josie die in her arms because of her. Relief lifted some anxiety off her shoulders, but she still felt an unsettling guilt.

Hope paid little attention to the rest of the class, searching for the vague memory and connection she had on this day with Josie. Definitely some time before her suspension if she was ’Marshall’.

She eyed around the classroom trying to find the brunette. She swore they shared this Enchantments class.

“Ms. Marshall, I suggest you find your planner to note the homework rather than the clock because Spring Break isn’t an excuse to be distracted.”

Her face flushed red. “Sorry, Mr. Williams.” She did not miss this class.

As she tried to make sense of where anything was in her bag sagging by the foot of her chair, she hadn’t noticed the gazing brown eyes. They darted away from her focus as she looked up.

The bell rang and students shuffled to sort their papers and Grimoires in their bags. Hope panicked to scribble the homework down in her planner in time. Well, not like it mattered; this was all a memory.

“Hope? Can I talk to you?” said Mr. Williams.

“What’s up?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Hope, you’re an A student. I don’t want one of the school’s best students to fall behind.”

Hope watched each student leave the room. She must’ve been one of the first out.

“Hope?”

She snapped back into their conversation. “Yeah, sorry, sure won’t happen again. I was just distracted— you know what this is all won’t matter anyway I’ll see you tomorrow.” She grabbed her things and headed for the door.

“Tomorrow is Saturday?”

“Congrats on the marriage by the way!” she shouted behind her as she rushed out, leaving a very confused Mr. Williams.

She went in the direction of the dorm rooms. If it was Spring Break then everybody would probably be outside waiting for pickup, right? Most everyone...

Lucky for her, the hallways so far in the dorm halls were empty. She rounded the familiar corner but quickly stopped in her tracks. 

There was the young brunette witch slipping the note under Room 28. She smiled to herself, thinking of her confession last year in the twins’ room. 

Josie got up from her knees and took a deep breath, turning slowly away from her door. She watched her take a few steps and turn the corner on the other side of the hall. Was it now her part to read the note?

But before Hope could take a step Josie rushed back to her door and fell to her knees again, head sideways and touching the floor. She had her eye up to the spacing between the door and the floor. 

She got up and clasped her hands over her head, looking defeated. But as if a thought had caught her attention, she put her fingers to the opening...

“Josie?” Hope stepped from out of the corner.

Josie turned her head at her name, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.

“Why are you trying to set my room on fire?” 

“I was aiming—I mean, I wasn’t—”

“Josie…” she asked softly, ocean eyes looking into brown searching for the truth.

Hope put her hand to the doorknob and whispered the unlocking spell. Josie watched her pick up her note and turn to face the witch. Beautiful, red bold calligraphic swirls made up HOPE.

She held her hand out, encouraging Josie to take the note back.

“Why did you want to burn this?” 

She took the note and shyly held it in front of her skirt avoiding eye contact. “I’m stupid for writing this note—forget it.” She shook her head and took a step back.

“Why is it stupid?”

She bowed her head low, thumbs running over the letters of her name. “Because… I’m not good enough for you.”

“Jo...” Her eyes softened.

She swallowed and continued. ”I’ll never be good enough for anyone to think of me outside my sister. And you’re freaking Hope Marshall—you’d never think of me like that…”

“That’s what I thought too.”

Josie looked up at her small smile, eyes wide. “What?”

“I had— _have_ ,” she corrected, remembering where––when, they were, “a crush on you.”

“Y-you do?” She stared at her, tongue-tied.

Hot and cold flutters churned around her insides. She was sure the young witch could hear her heart beating without super hearing.

“Of course, and I thought _you’d_ never think of me like that, especially since your sister’s out to get me.” At least then she had, today she couldn’t be more grateful for her friendship with the girl.

She still looked confused. “Why me?” The words tripped out of her before she knew what she was saying.

“Because you’re freaking Josie Saltzman,” she grinned, tilting her chin up. She felt her cheeks rosy.

The witch blushed hard and put out her hand to let her take the note back.

“Tell me your answer after break?”

She took the note. “Promise.”

Soon after the white light blinded her vision again and the ground beneath her started to change. She wanted so badly for this world to stop spinning, for this memory to last longer, for her to make her choice, but her subconscious wouldn’t have it.


	5. Chapter 5 - Elusory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elusory; What if you don't know how to win?

Hope found herself outside the Salvatore school. Small spots of soft light illuminated the otherwise dark night, stringing down the walls and adorning the entrance and windows. 

She stepped closer to the light show, her boots making muffled crunchy noises in the snow. She left a light trail of footsteps behind her as she came closer to examine the hanging mistletoe.

She remembered this night clearly, the moment when Landon had returned and had watched her looking into the night sky. Him staring at her glowing smile as she saw how Santa graced the sky in his sleigh.

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she quickly hid behind a supporting column. 

A curly headed boy in a hooded denim jacket skipped out the door and out to the open. He stood under the mistletoe, looking around and leaning forwards on his toes trying to see if anybody might turn the corner. No such luck.

Like she was watching a memory through a Bokeh lens, Hope watched through a blur of dotted lights as Landon dug his hands into his pockets, looking down at the ground kicking some gravel here and there. 

What might’ve happened if she had hid like this, hadn’t waited for him, and hadn’t kissed him under the mistletoe?

Hadn’t said yes?

“Go on, take him back.”

She shuddered, surprised to see Josie also behind the adjacent column close by, casually leaning with her arms crossed. She looked just like how she had left her in her room before they entered the box.

“This isn’t my subconscious.” She looked again at Landon. 

She shrugged. “As you’ve entered Josie’s subconscious, you’ve opened up your own. Your journeys here are connected.”

“Don’t you want to kill me, or whatever?”

She ignored her and turned to observe the boy still pacing around the front. “You cared for her. Why did you take him back?”

The churning flutters returned and gnawed her insides.

“I-I can’t... leave Landon.”

“Why?” She pried. “Because you can’t? Or _won’t_?”

Hope stared at the dark witch, unsure if she had an answer for her.

“You’re just as afraid of losing someone that loves you as much as Josie’s afraid of loving again. So she gives more reasons for people to leave than to stay, because if they stay with her —and the longer that they do, the harder it hurts when they leave.”

Josie looked down at her shining red nails and the silver rings on her hand, positively bored. She continued, “Hell, they were together for a summer and she’s crying in her room right now.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

She smirked, putting down her hand. “I can read your subconscious, remember? You were like an open book when soft tween Jo was crushing on the _perfect_ Hope Marshall.”

So that’s why she had the world to herself then.

She leaned off the beam and stepped closer, still keeping out of sight from the boy. “So, why are _you_ here, Hope? And not dear sister?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have to answer anything you say.” Hope walked away from the front and around the side for the second entrance into the school. She heard the dark witch’s heels even in the snow follow her own.

“You care for her. But that Josie you care for, she’s weak. Shoved here into this chest living her hardest memories and worst demons.”

That panged her thoughts, thinking about how Josie might’ve thought no one would be coming for her. How could they? How would they know she was still in here, a prisoner in her own mind, and the worst parts of herself playing warden.

“Forgotten. Just like you should’ve stayed. A part of her hates herself for returning everyone’s memories of you.”

“No, no you’re wrong.” She rushed to Josie’s room. Number 23. She pushed the door open wide.

On the bed a small, white sweater curled up with her knees into her chest rocked back and forth.

“Jo!” She ran to the bed.

“Hope?” Her low and hitched breathing filled the room. “What are y—”

Her body flew up and slammed back against the hanging decorative chalkboard.

Hope jumped backwards and whipped her head at the door. The dark witch strutted in with her arm raised at Josie. The pinned witch tried to move her arms forwards but it was useless.

“If you so much as move closer to her I will do more than bury you dead.”

She tightened her hold on Josie, her gasps for air screaming in Hope’s ears.

“She hates you, hates you for thinking everyone was better off without you, leaving her to let herself fall in love with Landon and then realizing he’d always love _you_ more than her. Go on, ask her.”

She looked at Josie, eyes pleading for an answer. Not knowing what to do. “Is she telling the truth?”

She lowered the pressure on her throat giving Josie leeway to breathe. Instead of answering she let her jaw stutter, not knowing what to say.

How could Hope finish this memory? How could she let the dark magic hold Josie against her will in her mind without doing something that would put her in more danger? How could she ignore her mind games?

How could she win what she didn’t know how to fight?

Hope looked into Josie’s soft eyes. They shimmered with tears still. 

“I am sorry, I should have never jumped into Malivore and put you through all this pain, but I don’t know how we can move forward. How _do_ we move forward?”

She looked again at the dark witch. “Because she’s right. _You’re_ right.” Her eyes met brown again.

“In that moment, I should’ve told him to leave. To get back on that bus. But I didn’t, I’m just as codependent because I'm afraid of losing someone that loves me… But I—”

The dark witch dropped her hold on Josie. She fell to the hardwood floor. She smirked at Hope, waiting for her to continue. 

“But what?”

“We’re doomed. I will always lose him and choose someone else. I'll always choose _you_ over him and I don't know why but I can't ever bear seeing you hate me, Josie. I can’t live with myself knowing that you — _hate_ , me.” The heaviness in her throat stuttered the last words.

Small pieces from the broken chalk moved on the floor, etching something onto the wood. Both Josie and Hope looked down to read the newly formed word.

“ _V..eritas_.” Josie whispered, and her eyes lit up.

“I guess it’s true what they say.” The dark witch snorted. “The truth will set you free.”

Josie got to her feet as Hope rushed to her side, not caring for the consequences. She took Hope’s hand in hers, gripping tightly. Hope looked up at her and nodded, as to give her permission.

A warm red aura softly glowed from their hands. Hope ignored the slight rush to her head as Josie kept siphoning.

“It’s a good thing I rewrote the rules.” Black fell over her eyes as a crooked smile teased her face.

“Now?” The tribrid glanced at Josie.

It raised its hands and started chanting. The red lights strung around the walls started blinking in and out furiously. Sparks flew from the table lamp. The chalk dust danced up and down as the floor beneath their feet shuddered and groaned.

“Now!” Josie quickly flung a ball of fire at her shadow self. She flew through the air and out the hall, her back hitting the wall across the hall.

“ _Veritas_!” Hope shouted her word.

Still holding on to each other, their world around them melted into white.


	6. Chapter 6 - Choice

Hope slowly opened the door to Room 23. Lizzie and Josie were laying in the bed together. 

The blonde looked up. “Oh it’s just you. Do you ever knock?”

“Sorry, um, I just wanted to check in and see if everyone was okay.”

Lizzie looked to Josie who scooched herself up to sit up on her bed. She was in her blue pajamas. She bit her lip lightly as she nodded to the girl.

“Yeah, just… tired.”

“I should um, let you two catch up and get some rest. But um..”

“What is it?” She noticed Hope was holding something.

“I wanted to give this back.” She stepped closer to the edge of her bed, holding out her hand. In it lay her small silver talisman.

“Thank you.” She smiled as she handed it back. 

“I swear to god, Mikaelson, just get in here.”

The blonde made room for the tribrid and patted the space in between. She smiled at her gesture and carefully laid down.

“Hm… this feels familiar.” Lizzie yawned, remembering what happened the last time they made the cry pile.

“Don’t jinx it, please.” Her sister chuckled at the irony.

“You were saying something about your bird boy before we were so graciously whisked away to our dooms.”

“Oh yeah, right.”

“Update?”

“Lizzie…”

“It’s fine, Josie.”

“Don’t not include me! Spill.”

“Nothing to spill!”

Lizzie elbowed Hope lightly in her side.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Because I want to know if my dear friend still thinks she and her boyfriend are doomed.”

“Shut up.”

“Well, do you?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she turned her head at the brunette on her left as she did the same. Ocean eyes met soft brown ones. A small smile formed on tribrid’s lips. She loved the way her soft brown hair fell around her face.

“He made his choice,” she started. “But someone once asked me what my choice was, and I promised I’d get back to them with an answer after break.”

“Did you ever get back to them?” Josie softly asked.

Her cheeks rosied. “I wish I had sooner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :) I hope you enjoyed the story!
> 
> What was your favorite journey? Let me know because I'm curious :)


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